I did the tour last fall, no more cows on the Alps = less trouble with the fences. I parked my fossil-powered bike at the sports field at the entrance to Weesen (coming from Ziegelbrücke on the main road on the left). I also shortened the ascent a bit and didn't follow the main road towards Amden, but took the cycle path towards Amden in a clockwise direction, thus saving a few kilometers and getting back on the route without heavy traffic. The ascent is not easy, and the bike has to be shouldered a little (about 1 hour, maybe a little more, or less, I can't remember exactly). The descent is pretty exposed at first, dropping to the right, not a good idea! On the ridge you can only enjoy the view while standing, but you should definitely do this before taking the steep path down to the alp, I can well imagine that after extensive rainfall this is no longer so fluffy to ride.... well honestly, it's not a princess's birthday party either. From the Alp onwards, the path becomes increasingly fluffy. I've had this tour on my list for a while, and I have to say it's well worth the effort. I would do this tour again in the fall when there is a longer dry spell.

Rode the tour today, as it has been on my wish list for a long time. The ascent is tough but still manageable. A little easier with hook a bike :-) Great conversations with hikers and trail runners, bikers are treated with respect on the Federispitz. Panorama simply mega. The descent wasn't my thing. The start over the ridge is awesome. The hiking trail down to Unternätenalp is tough, narrow serpentines in deep furrows. Wide paths ride across alpine meadows with deep ruts and trampled paths. Trail gets better at times, but on the whole a little frustrating, especially after the big thunderstorm last night everything was still very wet. Lots of pasture fences. Wasn't so cool. The end of the tour is definitely sweetened with the Steinmandli Trail, which we already knew and is still awesome ;-)

Better not park at the lake, you can only pay for about 3 hours there, I had a parking fine under my windshield wiper when I came back. Tip: better at the Weesen Speerplatz parking lot.

Have fun, LG

The Federispitz had been on my bucket list for some time and I have to say it was worth it. The trailhead can only be reached with a lot of sweat and carrying. The view is magnificent and the trail into the valley with its many beautiful views of the valley floor is well worth the effort. Nevertheless, I won't be tackling the trail again straight away. There are more beautiful climbs ;-)

We rode the tour yesterday. It's worth taking the bus to Amden, as the road is not very attractive. The ascent up to the stretcher passage is mostly pleasant except for the last ramp.
The Tragepassage is no walk in the park. You have to fight for every meter of altitude. At the top, we enjoyed a break and lunch in the beautiful sunshine. Then we went down the Cretan Trail: The passage is not really difficult, but you shouldn't allow yourself any mistakes here. The way down to the alp was very tricky to ride: When the ground is very dry, both bikes often slide over the trail because it is so steep. It's definitely worth riding with as little tire pressure as possible here. I had to dismount several times.
After the Alp, the trail becomes more rideable, but is still very strenuous because you have to constantly sit on the brakes. The further down you get, the "easier" it becomes. The last trail down to Ziegelbrücke is beautiful and there is even some flow.
Conclusion: Beautiful landscape and magnificent views, difficult descent and tough ascent. Belongs in the category: "You don't have to repeat a beautiful 1x ride".

A beautiful autumn tour that is perfect for technical riders. A little concentration is required in the upper section, where riding errors can have serious consequences (keyword: flying license). And concentration is one of those things - shouldering the bike after 400 m of climbing. The uphill is pretty hardcore.
In the lower part, the trail directly to Ziegelbrücke station is worthwhile. Lots of flow on the one hand, but also technical sections on the other. And always with the question: What's under the leaves?

Question to all in response to flash777's comment about bypassing the Federispitz for e-bikers
The Federispitz is probably not suitable for e-bikers, as you have to carry your bike for 400m.
However, there is a comment from flash777 who says that you can ride around the Federispitz from the Oberfidersche Alp and rejoin the original trail at point 1429 Müm. Has anyone already ridden this? Would be grateful for your experience.

https://vivalagrischa.wordpress.com/

Due to the lush weather, the grass is unusually high, so that the path is barely visible in places - at least where there are no cows yet

Did the tour yesterday. It's still a bit too early. There are still some snow fields in the last section. These wouldn't even be a problem. The problem is the meltwater, which softens the ground and turns it into soft soap. So it's better to wait a few more weeks.

The bus from Amden to Weesen costs 5 francs and must be purchased from the driver. The trail from Federispitz to Unternätenalp is either technically very demanding or exposed. The view from Federispitz is brilliant and the trail from Unternätenalp is also great.

Did this tour yesterday. There is still too much snow on the last steep part, I tried it but had to give up and turn back. Still a great tour with beautiful views and a first-class descent!

If you want to pedal up the mountain under your own steam without the hassle of traffic, you can start directly from Weesen.
Höfenstrasse-Gufler-Matt-Unterbütz. From there continue as described.

Please note: The Federi and its mountain flanks are located entirely in the protected "core habitat area" of the municipality of Schänis. In this area, mountain biking is not permitted off the officially designated roads and mountain bike routes! Tourist events, model airplanes and the launching of hang gliders and paragliders are also not permitted. There are signs on the Schänner side at the entrance to the protection zone. Otherwise, the regulations can be found on the homepage of the municipality of Schänis. ( http://www.schaenis.ch/de/aktuelles/aktuellesinformationen/?action=show… )
So far I am not aware of any penalties in this regard. However, regular mountain hikers are increasingly bothered by the narrow hiking trails on the ridge and the increased use by bikers.

I did this tour in mid-May. An absolutely fantastic top tour with a wonderfully technical descent. Definitely not easy and quite exposed at the top. I would also clearly advocate 5 instead of 4 points for riding technique. This was definitely not the last time I rode this amazing tour. Thanks ride team!

Rode today - 1st part ascent with AWA bus Weesen-->Amden-Dorf. Here they charge CHF 5 for bike transportation.
Do not buy bike ticket via SBB app - will not be accepted or credited. :-(
Lots of sweat and challenging trails = lots of fun.

Dear Ride Team: How is your classification actually to be understood? Is there a legend for it? Here the riding technique is given 4 out of 6 boxes. But when I read the comments such as "a hard piece of work", "not for the 0815 biker", "very technical", "some places without fail option", I wonder how conscientiously the classification is made and would the tours be given 5 or 6 boxes? *happy trails* from central Switzerland

The ascent is hard work because of the carrying passage. We like it, but it's certainly not for the 0815 biker.
The panorama on the Federi is impressive, absolutely top! The descent on the ridge is basically easy to do, but doesn't forgive any mistakes! So be sensible ;-) The descent from the Federigrat to the Alp is very technical, or rather a bit bumpy. Riding technique pros can handle it, others just have to descend, no matter because you're still blown away by the panorama :-) The rest of the descent is great, often with fantastic views. Can absolutely recommend the tour, but only to bikers who know what they are doing.

To my astonishment, the descent was very rewarding except for the somewhat awkward part from Federigrat down to the Alp, in some places even excellent - provided you have a very good riding technique. Because if you want to ride through everything, there are some places without a fail option, especially in the summit area. I would therefore rate the tour slightly higher in terms of riding technique. Due to the rather long carrying passage, the tour will remain something for connoisseurs. Because of the narrow path at the top, it is better to avoid busy times.

Did the tour today. The snow is more or less gone, but it's quite slippery in places. The uppermost section is still tough. If you don't have a head for heights and aren't sure-footed, you'd better keep your feet off it. Otherwise, the tour is really wonderful, especially from a panoramic point of view.
From Weesen to Amden, a small bike road (red signpost) branches off after about 200 meters. It's quite steep, but it leads directly to Amden and above all away from the busy main road.